Land Rover has celebrated its 60th anniversary with a special edition of the iconic Defender, the SVX. While most of the 25,000 Defenders produced each year are working tools for everyone from farmers and foresters to aid agencies, the SVX is the most stylish and feature-packed version that Land Rover has ever produced. New Zealand secured 19 of the sought-after vehicles and has just received the first and only shipment of this limited edition model which is available in three body styles. With metallic black paintwork and subtle satin black graphic decals, the Defender SVX is available in a 90 soft-top along with a 90 and 110 hard-top station wagon version. Distinctive exterior features include a contrasting silver finish, with unique “Defender” and “SVX” badges, tubular side-steps, and the bold surround for the front grille and new, clear-lens headlamps. All vehicles feature new, “diamond turned” five-spoke alloy wheels, a reinforced aluminium front under shield and clear LED rear lights. To bring the SVX interiors right up to date they are equipped with custom-designed Recaro front seats, distinctive alloy gear knobs, a new audio system (with subwoofer and USB socket), iPod cradle and Garmin satellite navigation. The soft-top model is especially eye-catching, with a metallic silver tubular cage that supports a tailor-made, removable black fabric hood. This encloses a flat load-space and a spare wheel stowed behind the front seats, reminiscent of the very first open-top Land Rovers. Each SVX model for New Zealand comes fitted with an individually numbered plaque, through to 19/19. The Defender SVX is powered by a 2.4-litre turbo diesel engine with 360 Nm of torque which complies with Euro 4 emission regulations. It has a six-speed manual gearbox with an electronic anti-stall capability in the engine management computer. “The Defender SVX looks very different to a spartan 1948 Land Rover, but it’s still an essentially practical vehicle that will enable you to go almost anywhere,” says Wallis Dumper, Land Rover New Zealand’s managing director. “Kiwi Land Rover enthusiasts have already recognised that the SVX special edition is an ideal way to mark Land Rover’s 60th birthday. “The initial allocation was sold out to customers who pre-ordered their SVX. “However thanks to New Zealand brand performance the factory released a few extra units so there is still an opportunity to own one of these unique vehicles. “This special vehicle is more Lara Croft than Royalty.” Only 200 SVX vehicles were made available in the UK. The recommended retail price of the Defender 90 SVX (hard-top) is $73,990, 110 SVX (hard-top) is $78,990 and 90 SVX (soft-top) is $83,990. We are currently testing an SVX, and the test will appear in our March issue.